Guenette Earns Canadian Tire Rookie Honors

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. – After a back-and-forth battle throughout the season, Alex Guenette has earned the 2013 rookie of the year award for the NASCAR Canadian Tire Series presented by Mobil 1 by just one point over Ryley Seibert.

Guenette, the 17-year-old from Terrebonne, Quebec, was the top-finishing rookie on five occasions this season while piloting the No. 39 Motos Illimitées/DLGL/Polaris Dodge for Dave Jacombs Racing. For the season, Guenette finished 10th in the final series point standings and recorded two top-five and five top-10 finishes including a season-best finish of second on July 27 at Autodrome St. Eustache (Quebec).

The accomplished karting competitor, who had limited stock car experience, came into the season as a complete newcomer to the Canadian Tire Series

“I wasn’t at all familiar with the tracks or the cars, so we had to learn a lot very quickly,” he said. “The adjustments weren’t difficult, but every race was something new to me.”

Assisting with the sometimes steep learning curve was veteran car owner Dave Jacombs, who helped transition another young Quebec driver, Andrew Ranger, into to stock-car competition in 2007. Ranger and Jacombs won two series titles in four full seasons together.

“We’re proud of what we accomplished this year and I congratulate Ryley on a great season, as well,” Guenette said. “This is a great honor and I hope to do bigger things next year.”

Seibert, from Williams Lake, B.C., finished 11th overall with three top 10s and also was the top rookie five times.

Rookie of the year standings are determined by a driver’s finishing position versus other rookies in the race. The top-finishing rookie in a race receives 10 points, second receives nine and so forth. The rookie of the year honor goes to the driver with the most rookie points on the year.

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